Software licenses and releasing Python programs for review

[Robert Kern]

poisondart wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I'm not sure if this is the right group to post this. If not, then I
> would appreciate if somebody could point me to the correct group.
> 
> This is my first time releasing software to the public and I'm wanting
> to release a Python program I wrote for review (and critique) and
> testing on other platforms, but also I would like to explore the
> different software licenses that are available (there seems to be
> many). Since the specification for the programs is knowledge-centric
> (related to linguistics), I need a group of people that are
> knowledgeable in this area. Is there a place where I can advertise to
> look for people who are knowledgeable in Python and linguistics?

The NLTK mailing list might be a good place.

http://nltk.sourceforge.net

> Ultimately I desire two things from the license (but not limited to):
> - being able to distribute it freely, anybody can modify it
> - nobody is allowed to make profit from my code (other than myself)

Well, this is vague. Do you want no one else to *distribute* your code 
or derivatives thereof for profit? or do you want no one else to be able 
to *use* the code for profit-making activities?

Either way, it's kind of rude and unproductive to ask people to spend 
their unpaid time to review, critique, and test your code when only you 
can make a profit from it. I highly recommend looking at the GPL. Many 
of the people whom you may want to not distribute your code for profit 
will probably be reluctant to use GPLed code. As a bonus, if they do, 
they will have to contribute their changes back to the community under 
the GPL, too, so you can incorporate them into your own code base.

-- 
Robert Kern
rkern at ucsd.edu

"In the fields of hell where the grass grows high
  Are the graves of dreams allowed to die."
   -- Richard Harter